The Alvarado Lagoon System is a large estuary and wetland complex in Veracruz state of eastern Mexico. It is located on the southern Gulf Coastal Plain, where the
Papaloapan
The Papaloapan River () is one of the main rivers of the Political divisions of Mexico, Mexican state of Veracruz (state), Veracruz. Its name comes from the Nahuatl ''papaloapan'' meaning "river of the Butterfly, butterflies".
In 1517, Juan de Gri ...
The lagoon system includes several brackish coastal lagoons, including Alvarado Lagoon, many tidal channels and interior lagoons, and extensive wetlands and coastal dunes.
Flora and fauna
Habitats include large areas of mangrove, marshes of sedges ('' Cyperus'' spp.), and cattails (''
Typha
''Typha'' is a genus of about 30 species of monocotyledonous flowering plants in the family Typhaceae. These plants have a variety of common names, in British English as bulrush or reedmace, in American English as reed, cattail, or punks, in A ...
'' spp.), swamp forests or ''apompales'' of ''
Pachira aquatica
''Pachira aquatica'' is a tropical wetland tree in the mallow family Malvaceae, native to Central and South America where it grows in swamps. It is known by its common names Malabar chestnut, French peanut, Guiana chestnut, Provision tree, Saba n ...
Attalea rostrata
Attalea may refer to :
* ''Attalea'' (plant), a genus of palms
**List of Attalea species
* Attalea in Lydia, an ancient city, now Yanantepe in Turkey, and bishopric, now a titular see
* Attalea in Pamphylia
la, Attalensis grc, Ἀτταλει ...
'', and '' Acrocomia mexicana'', and riparian oak forests of '' Quercus oleoides''.
The Alvarado Lagoon System provides habitat for numerous waterfowl and wetland birds, and is designated an
Important Bird Area
An Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA) is an area identified using an internationally agreed set of criteria as being globally important for the conservation of bird populations.
IBA was developed and sites are identified by BirdLife Int ...
. The lagoons are also an important habitat for the West Indian manatee (''Trichechus manatus).
346 species of birds have been recorded in the wetlands. 50% are year-round residents, 32% winter residents, 2% summer residents, 10% transitory, and the rest occasional visitors. The wetlands are a congregation area for waterbirds, including northern pintail (''Anas acuta'')
American white pelican
The American white pelican (''Pelecanus erythrorhynchos'') is a large aquatic soaring bird from the order Pelecaniformes. It breeds in interior North America, moving south and to the coasts, as far as Central America and South America, in winte ...
(''Pelecanus erythrorhynchos''), brown pelican (''Pelecanus occidentalis''),
piping plover
The piping plover (''Charadrius melodus'') is a small sand-colored, sparrow-sized shorebird that nests and feeds along coastal sand and gravel beaches in North America. The adult has yellow-orange-red legs, a black band across the forehead from e ...
(''Charadrius melodus''), and least bittern (''Ixobrychus exilis''). White-winged dove (''Zenaida asiatica'') is plentiful. It is a breeding area for raptors, including the snail kite (''Rostrhamus sociabilis''),
common black hawk
The common black hawk (''Buteogallus anthracinus'') is a bird of prey in the family Accipitridae, which also includes the eagles, hawks, and Old World vultures.
Description
The adult common black-hawk is long and weighs on average. It has very ...
(''Buteogallus anthracinus''), great black hawk (''Buteogallus urubitinga'') and
black-collared hawk
The black-collared hawk (''Busarellus nigricollis'') is a species of bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. It is monotypic within the genus ''Busarellus''. It has a widespread range of presence, from western Mexico to Uruguay. Its natural hab ...
(''Busarellus nigricollis''). The scissor-tailed flycatcher (''Tyrannus forficatus'') and eastern kingbird (''Tyrannus tyrannus'') are migrants. At-risk species include the snail kite, piping plover, least bittern,
peregrine falcon
The peregrine falcon (''Falco peregrinus''), also known as the peregrine, and historically as the duck hawk in North America, is a Cosmopolitan distribution, cosmopolitan bird of prey (Bird of prey, raptor) in the family (biology), family Falco ...
(''Falco peregrinus''), and lesser yellow-headed vulture (''Cathartes burrovianus'').BirdLife International (2021). Important Bird Areas factsheet: Humedales de Alvarado. Accessed 12 October 2021
Conservation and threats
Threats to the wetlands include expansion of agriculture and cattle ranches, mangrove cutting, unsustainable fishing practices, and upstream erosion silting up the lagoons and wetlands.
The lagoon system was designated a
Ramsar site
A Ramsar site is a wetland site designated to be of international importance under the Ramsar Convention,8 ha (O)
*** Permanent 8 ha (P)
*** Seasonal Intermittent < 8 ha(Ts)
**